Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Kinda young, kinda now, Charlie! Kinda free, kinda wow! Charlie!


That guy with a beard on a bike giving a kindly wave - who is he ? He's Charles Wine, 
retired RCA/Sarnoff scientist and prolific inventor, who resides on ... Hamilton Ave !

Philip Sean Curran has written a nice story about him for the Princeton Packet this week:


Note - the above link doesn't take you directly to the article about Charlie Wine, it just
goes to the Packet Online.  Whose online content, for me at least, tends to freeze my
browser. I must need to install a plugin or upgrade or ad blocker or sumpin'.   Anyway ...

Charlie Wine was out biking around town last Sunday morning when he was spotted
at an intersection by the team of consultants just starting their research on the upcoming
Bike Master Plan. He gave one of his patented "hello - everything is and will be okay" waves.

An intro presentation about the Bike Master Plan was made to the planning board last Thursday.
The slides can be viewed here, or else viewed as video from the meeting starting here.

PS - have you ever wondered why some of our streets look the way they do ? Have you ever
been so curious that you Googled for "two-lane, tree-lined road with minimal shoulders" and
were not surprised to find it yielded just one hit ? Or after I post this, say only two hits ?  







'Tour De Trenton' Group Bike Ride Report



Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking part in the 19th 'Tour De Trenton', a community bike ride organized by the 'Trenton Cycle Revolution' bike club. I got my bike down to Trenton on the convenient bike carrier on the 606 bus, arriving at Mill Hill Park well in time for registration, a quick bite from 'Sunrise Luncheonette', and ride-off at 9.15 a.m. It was incredible how many people took part, I would say definitely over 100, although I couldn't put an exact figure on it because the crowd was so big. 

The ride itself was 12 miles long, and focused on Trenton's 18th Century historic sites. Trenton police provided an escort, so we got to cruise through every traffic signal, and were not threatened by cars. We rode east, as far as Riverview Cemetry and past John Roebling's grave. Then we headed west, all the way to Cadwalader Park. It was a great time, with friendly people, and delightful weather. I hope to ride it again next year. To check out more photos, check this album from photographer Kevin Duddy, who followed the group along the way!

Don't forget that on October 25, we have our own community bike ride in Princeton, the 3rd annual 'Ride of the Falling Leaves'. It's free, and almost all on trails with no traffic. Ride-off is at 1.00 p.m. from Community Park South, next to the tennis courts. This Saturday, September 26, is also my next 'Downtown Princeton Fun Ride', offered through Princeton Freewheelers. Click here for details.

Friday, September 18, 2015

king for a day (or forever?): PARK(ing) Day


PARK(ing) Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists 
collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into "PARK(ing)" spaces: temporary public places. 

The project began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered parking 
space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global 
movement, with organizations and individuals (operating independently of Rebar but following an established set of 
guidelines) creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world. 

The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate 
around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until
the meter runs out!

Read all about it                             The Parking Day Manual (PDF)





Report On West Windsor Bike Fest



Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the 'West Windsor Bike Fest'. This is the twelth time this event has taken place, but the first time for me! I went with my daughter, taking my bike on the Dinky, to avoid riding across Route 1. That worked well, and from Princeton Junction station it was a short spin along neighborhood streets to West Windsor Community Park, on Princeton-Hightstown Road. 

'Bike Fest' features rides of up to 40 miles, but I went for the 7-mile 'Trolley Line Trail' ride. This  drew mostly families, with plenty of kids riding their own bikes or on various bike-seats / trailers. It was a very diverse crowd, and there were at least 40 people taking part. Along the way, we traveled on nice off-road trails (PSE&G right-of-way), and many on-street bike lanes. The bike facilities in West Windsor are very impressive, and the rides were really well handled by members of West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance, among others.

After the ride, there was a party at the swimming pool in West Windsor Community Park, with food and a DJ (who demonstrated a dance routine to a hip-hop remix of 'Do You Want To Build A Snowman?' - I was impressed). The pool was open for those who wanted a post-ride dip, but I had to go to get the train back to Princeton. 

I am also hoping to participate in the 'Tour de Trenton', tomorrow (Saturday September 19), a 12-mile tour of historic sites starting at Mill Hill Park. Also, don't forget our Princeton 'Ride of the Falling Leaves', organized by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, which is set for October 25 at 1 p.m. from Community Park South!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

the wacky races ! also the Richmond 2015 World Cycling Championships


RICHMOND, September 2, 2015 – The UCI Road World Championships, which come to the United States 
this September for the first time in a generation, will be even more of a spectacle thanks to the addition of 
one of the most unusual bicycle events in the world. 

Closing the first week of UCI racing on September 25, 2015, 150 nattily dressed Brompton folding bike 
riders from around the country will compete in the USA leg of the Brompton World Championship series

Hosted by Brompton, the iconic folding bike manufacturer from London, the Brompton World Championship 
series is part sporting-event, part sartorial spectacle. Contestants wear suit jackets along with shirts and ties 
and run, Le Mans style, to folded Bromptons. The fastest man and woman to unfold their bicycle and race 
the one-lap, 10-mile circuit of the UCI "Worlds" road circuit will take winners titles and receive return flights 
from Brompton to attend the final in London, 2016. 


Interview with Brompton CEO Will Butler-Adams   from Fast Company magazine


For extra credit: one of our esteemed PBAC colleagues [*] owns a fabulous folding Brompton. What color is it ?

About the 2015 UCI Road World Championships 

The 2015 UCI Road World Championships, cycling's pinnacle event, will be held Sept. 19-27, 2015 in Richmond, 
Va., and is expected to attract as many as 450,000 onsite spectators from the Richmond region and across the 
globe over the course of the nine-day event as well as a worldwide TV audience in the hundreds of millions. 

More than 1,000 cyclists – Elite Men and Women, Under-23 Men and Junior Men and Women – from more than 
70 countries will compete in three disciplines: the traditional Road Race, Individual Time Trial and Team Time Trial. 
The event, which is being held in the United States for the first time since 1986, culminates with the traditional road
races on Sept. 26 (women) and Sept. 27 (men).












[*]  Hint

Friday, September 11, 2015

a first for Mercer County, if I'm not mistaken


Talkin' about the bike part vending machine outside Sourland Cycles, in Hopewell.

I didn't notice whether the vendor of the vending machine was Fixstation, or BikeStock,
or RiderOasis, or ExpressBiker, or some other outfit.

Related links:


The one-of-a-kind "BC Moments Machine" from Tourism British Columbia - it dispenses bikes, kayaks, surfboards, etc.

Bonus content:

I'm so old, and so foreign, I can remember and whistle the radio jingle which went
"Toronto Dominion - the bank where people make the difference". Which has morphed, at least for
my relatives, to    "TD Bank - where being open Sunday makes the difference".

Anyway, from the TreeHugger blog comes this story about the aptly named Tim Hockey.
         








Thursday, September 10, 2015

Re: [pjpbac-public forum listserv] 'Tis The Season For Community Bike Rides!



Also:

The Sourland Conservancy will hold its 4th Annual Sourland Spectacular bicycle rally on Saturday, September 12, 2015. 

                            http://www.sourlandspectacular.com/

The event will offer challenging routes for serious cyclists, as well as a shorter alternatives for more casual bikers. Routes of 
24 to 64 miles are planned, all of which include climbing, as the Sourland Mountain is beautiful, but not flat. 

The routes begin and end at the Otto Kaufman Community Center on Skillman Road in Skillman. All parking will be across 
the street at Montgomery High School.

Meanwhile:

I wasn't able to ride the LHT's big SuperMoon event on Aug 29, but it says here it drew 670 participants - even bigger than last year.

If you were there and feel like entertaining us with your impressions, now's the time. Photos ? GoPro clips ? Commentary ? 

And - more news from the world of super stuff, and the planet of free T-shirts.  Our own Ron Lessard has 

Bonus reading -- just in time for NYC's Fashion Week:     Cycling Caps Return as a Fashion Statement

And finally, to get interested readers into the spirit of the upcoming Bike Master Plan project:


The City Council has approved a far-reaching transportation program that is part of a larger push to get people out
of their cars and onto sidewalks.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

'Tis The Season For Community Bike Rides!



Lots and lots of community bike rides happen around Princeton during the fall. I love them, and I'm planning to go to as many as possible! Here's my 'hit-list' for the next couple of months:

1. Ride of the Falling Leaves (pictured above) - Princeton Pedestrian and Bicycling Advisory Committee's signature fall event! On October 25, 1-3 p.m., join at Community Park South for a gentle 3.5 mile tour of Mountain Lakes Park with hot cider. Save the Date! It's completely free!
2. West Windsor BikeFest. This Saturday! Your pick of rides from 1.5 miles to 40 miles, leaving at various times from WW Community Park on Princeton-Hightstown Road. Note: $15 per adult. Personally, I am planning to do the 7-mile 'Trolley-Line Trail' ride.
3. Tour de Trenton. Saturday, September 19, 9.15 a.m., from Mill Hill Park. $8 pre-reg; $10 day-of. 12 miles, passing almost all of Trenton's 18th century historic sites!
4. Princeton Fun Ride. Shameless plug! I am leading free, family-friendly community bike rides twice a month around Princeton on Saturday evenings! You can join in for free to see if you like it! It's a social 3 miles. Check the website for details. Next ride is this Saturday, September 12, weather permitting! There are just 4 rides left this year before it gets too dark. Contact samuel.bunting@outlook.com for more details!

Looking forward to seeing some of you out there on two wheels!